It is not enough to be quietly non-racist -- now is the time to be vocally anti-racist.
It is the Office of Sustainability's strong belief that sustainability work and social justice are inseparable. The burdens of social, economic and environmental hazards are well documented. There are enormous disparities in the impact of climate change, and in access to basic human rights such as healthy food and safe drinking water. Even the environmental movement itself has a history of racism that requires reckoning.
The systems we support or dismantle are deeply intertwined. We cannot advance accountability to climate change, for instance, within power structures that are allowed to harm those disproportionately impacted by it.
To fulfill our mission of integrating sustainability into all aspects of campus life, the Office of Sustainability is committed to embracing anti-racism through all aspects of our department. This includes the events and programming we create, the individuals and organizations with whom we work, the composition of our student and professional staff, and the ways in which we partner.
A public statement is only as good as the action that follows it up and we promise you: We are taking action. We are educating ourselves and others. We are connecting the dots and the intersecting lines.
We will share what we learn. And we hope you'll join us and likewise engage in this journey.